News story

General Teaching Council for England to be scrapped

Michael Gove comments on the decision to abolish the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE).

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Commenting on the decision, Michael Gove said:

This government trusts the professionals. That’s why we want to give teachers greater freedoms and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy. Since I have been shadowing education and more recently held the brief in government there has been one organisation of whose purpose and benefit to teachers I am deeply sceptical - the General Teaching Council for England.

I believe this organisation does little to raise teaching standards or professionalism. Instead it simply acts as a further layer of bureaucracy while taking money away from teachers.

I want there to be stronger and clearer arrangements in relation to teacher misconduct and I am not convinced the GTCE is the right organisation to take these forward. I intend to seek authority from Parliament to abolish the General Teaching Council for England.

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Published 2 June 2010